Whichever feeder you choose, try to use an internal, rather than an external feeder to guard against robbing. That is why all of the pickle jars you see being used are covered with a large super. BeeMax also makes a good hive top feeder.

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It won't wick too well. Felt might soak up the sugar water, but I would imagine only if you placed it on top of the sugar water. But then will it float? or get too saturated and sink? I'm not sure on that. But it wouldn't work to put part of the felt in the container, and part out. Thin strips of wood float on sugar water though. If you're trying to think of some way to use just any ol' container (a large square tuperware for instance), my thoughts would be to place something other than felt in there. Unless you experiment and find the felt floats fine - and actually DOES soak up a little of the sugar water. But another suggestion might be making a "raft" of thin strips of wood. But will the bees get too wet and have to spead out more to get at the sugar water? Could this be rather cold for them?

Really though, the inverted glass jar is very easy and works great. But one key to the inverted jar is making the holes in the lid very small. I have my husband do this since he's stronger than me. We use a sewing needle, and he holds it with needle nose pliers - then pushes it down into the lid for several holes. A nail is too large. I use a couple pickle jars and just place them over the ventilation area on my home-made inner covers. (My inner covers don't have just one hole in the middle, but instead have an open strip all the way down the middle.)

The problem I have with the inverted-jar type feeder is that the sugar comes out of solution and ends up plugging the holes. I've tried boiling the syrup beyond the point where all the sugar dissolves, and invariably, after a cold night, the holes gum up.

Actually, I was referring to wicking sheets as in bottom feeders for plants. Placing part of the felt in the sugar water and a big mat outside of the sugarwater container, allowing the mix to "wick" up the mat and to a safe place where the bees can drink.

I have never had a problem with useing wood. I do nothing to it - just useing a thin strip and toss in the frame feeder. I've been useing the same strip of wood since I started (8 or more months? in the last 18 months).